Sky Sports pick potential Stelling replacement as iconic host on gardening leave
Simon Thomas has been identified as a potential replacement for Jeff Stelling after his 30-year Sky Sports career was brought to an end.
The long-serving host initially announced his decision to leave 12 months ago but performed a dramatic U-turn to stay for a further year. With the 2022/23 season coming to an end, Stelling hosted his final Soccer Saturday show in what was an emotional occasion for him and his colleagues.
Taking to Twitter after his final show, he thanked viewers for their support and confirmed that he had no plans to retire. Stelling wrote: "It all seems like an out of body experience (with my body, you would want to be out of it).
“I wanted to thank everyone for the overwhelming number of kind messages. I’m going to take a few weeks to assess my options and then decide what is next."
Whilst fans might be keen to see him return as soon as possible, Stelling is currently on gardening leave so will not be back on screens until at least the end of 2023. Sky in the meantime are on the lookout for his successor.
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According to Mail Online, Simon Thomas is among the names being considered as a replacement. He has a long association with Sky having initially started working with the broadcaster back in 2005 after leaving the BBC.
He was one of a number of faces to present Premier League and Football League matches on the channel. Thomas made the decision to step back from full-time broadcasting six years ago after his wife Gemma tragically died just days after being diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia.
Simon Thomas could be set to replace Jeff Stelling on Soccer Saturday (Getty Images)Who do you think should replace Jeff Stelling? Share your thoughts in the comments below
Since then, he has been freelancing for various platforms but has future plans of a long-term job. Whilst Sky are considering him, they insist that a final decision has not been made.
Thomas penned an emotional message to his potential predecessor Stelling ahead of his final appearance on Sky Sports. Taking to Twitter with a picture of his former colleague, he wrote: “Tomorrow a remarkable era of sports broadcasting comes to an end.
“Wishing @JeffStelling every good wish for his final afternoon on #SoccerSaturday. He’s been an absolute master of his craft for 25 years & deserves his place amongst the legends of sports broadcasting.”
Meanwhile, posting to LinkedIn recently, Thomas hinted that he was eyeing a permanent return to the screen. He wrote: “I've quickly learnt that being freelance in broadcast is not for the faint hearted.
“One minute you can feel on top of the world wondering how you're going to fit everything in; next you're feeling that uncomfortable anxiety pondering where the next gig is going to come from. Is the rainy day fund going to run dry?
“Part of me loves the excitement of the unknown; the not knowing what might come next; but perhaps a bigger part of me craves a return to the days of a decent degree of certainty.”
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